The Penny Lane executive team felt that the voices of every team member were important, so we opened the discovery process up to the entire workforce. I used worksheets I had developed over the years to conduct meetings, explain processes, and distribute branding exercises. Then, I collected and analyzed all the data to define Penny Lane Centers for everyone who worked in the organization, not just those at the top.

From this research, I was able to gain a clear direction on where to steer the brand and to begin to define the needs of the site which would be used in Phase 2.

Turning that data into three clear visual directions, I created mood boards that allowed me to align the team's ideas about the brand with my suggestions for a new aesthetic. With sign-off on the "Happiness" direction, I was able to move forward into some traditional design work.

The first item on our list was a redesign of the Penny Lane logo. Through traditional iteration and deduction, we arrived on a logo that tells the story of a family (or two people supporting a third) with a heart at the center, reflecting the "heart-centered" work Penny Lane does.

Penny Lane Centers had various programs adopting individual logos. We established a unified logo system to bring all programs under the Penny Lane name, emphasizing their unity as a family.

Now, I was able to create a complete design system based on the compiled research, feedback, and mood boards. Collaborating with a copywriter, I delivered a brand and style guide that equipped Penny Lane with the resources to not only implement their fresh aesthetic but also to articulate their brand through tone and messaging.

A successful design system is evident when it can adapt to various purposes without losing its character. Penny Lane Center covers themes ranging from teen homelessness and professional therapist training to fun social services like community Trunk or Treat events. In every instance, the new Penny Lane branding maintains its identity and feels perfectly in place. It even serves as a foundation for affiliated programs and events, such as their annual RiseUp event and their housing program, Abbey Road.

After an analysis of their old site, I built on the information collected during my Phase 1 discovery process by expanding my research to include interviews with additional users, such as clients and resource partners who would use Penny Lane's website. Through their feedback, I identified two primary objectives for the new site: to efficiently organize and promote individual programs and to clearly drive donations. Using this framework, I worked with my partner at Penny Lane to organize their multiple programs into seven new categories like Family Programs or Mental Health Services.

I created site maps and low-fidelity prototypes incrementally, enabling me to gradually introduce Penny Lane to the new organizational and design concepts and obtain their approval. I then partnered with FundraiseUp to bring Penny Lane a new way to integrate donation systems on their page. Finally, using the identity system created in Phase 1, high-fidelity designs were created and executed.

Working with a front end developer, I created all the necessary high-def pages for handoff and implementation. I also worked with my contact at Penny Lane Center's to choose the images and shore up the copy for each of their 30+ programs.

The site was created with a CMS system so that it could be easily updated by the team at Penny Lane Centers. We also created a newsletter feature which allows the team to send a monthly newsletter hosted and integrated into their site layout. I partnered with FundraiseUp to bring Penny Lane a new way to integrate donation systems on their page.

Penny Lane Center's has fully embraced and implemented its new branding, bringing a cohesion to all its many services and programs. Their website is now well organized with a framework that allows them to introduce new programs whenever needed. Each program page has a uniform layout of description, contacts and donations, meeting both the users and the non-profit business needs.

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